Getting by with a little help

After every tailgate, whether or not we bag a victory, there's a University employee out there bagging cans. They're mowing the grass, wiping off the chalkboards and answering phones. Everyday we go to class and pass by their hard work unnoticed.\nWhen things go wrong we know who to blame; but when things are going right, we don't know who to thank.\nThe janitors, electricians and repairmen. The building managers and food servers. The hundreds of people who are the least-noticed workers of the largest employer in Bloomington. When it comes time to give out raises, they should be first in line.\nLuckily, IU President Adam Herbert agrees.\nSince he took over the University's top job this year, Herbert's presidency has been defined by constant examining and re-examining of the University's administration structure. Halfway through his first fall semester he continues to look into faculty and staff structure across IU campuses. \nIn the near future, Herbert said he wants to look into salary distribution among IU employees. The practice is common among university presidents; however, Herbert's goals are far from conventional. Instead of seeking raises for the higher members of the University faculty and administration, Herbert plans to look closely at the possibility of raising staff salaries. This means IU's less revered positions -- the thousands of support, service and maintenance staffers -- could be getting a nice bonus sometime in the future.\nCurrently, a staff member at IU can make an annual salary anywhere from $20,000 to $50,000. With University administrators and distinguished faculty often making six figure incomes (Herbert makes $335,000 a year), it is clear who has more need for a raise. \nLuckily, Herbert agrees.\nEven more surprising is how he wants to accomplish staff raises. Herbert says he is concerned about using the all-to-familiar method of tuition increases.\nGood for him, but what other options are there?\nFirst, Herbert must steer clear of the typical politician's mistake of adding spending without making sufficient cuts elsewhere.\nSchool of Education associate professor Bradley Unger-Levinson suggested a redistribution of University resources by lowering top-end administrative salaries and using the new $1,000 freshman fee, according to an Oct. 2 IDS article. Perhaps? Herbert's suggestion to trim down our wealth of vice presidents would undoubtedly aid this process.\nOf course, Herbert has not made any promises, but his willingness to increase staff salaries in spite of concerns for almost certain cutbacks that will have to be made is encouraging at the very least.\nIt's about time they looked out for the little guy. They deserve it.